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Le fisc et les privilegies sous l'Ancien Regime

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Summary

This article examines the role of taxation and privileges in France and Italy during the 17th and 18th centuries. It looks at how the monarchy during the 18th century viewed taxation and privileges as an abuse, but was unable to abolish them. It also looks at the attempts of the monarchy to impose taxes on privileged classes, as well as the strategies used by privileged classes to evade taxes. Ultimately, it argues that the monarchy's efforts to tax privileged classes were unsuccessful, due largely to the efforts of the privileged classes to defend their privileges.

Q&As

What efforts did the absolutism make to make the privileged pay taxes?
The absolutism made efforts to make the privileged pay taxes by affirming the obligation for all to contribute proportionally to their incomes to the state's charges.

What measures did the power take to achieve its objectives regarding taxation?
The power took measures such as the opening speech of Calonne to the Assembly of Notables in 1787 to achieve its objectives regarding taxation.

How did the privileged attempt to resist taxation?
The privileged attempted to resist taxation by constructing an arsenal of arguments to ensure the defense of their tax exemption.

What was the main argument used by the privileged to defend their tax exemption?
The main argument used by the privileged to defend their tax exemption was to compare it to an abuse.

What did Calonne say in his opening speech to the Assembly of Notables in 1787?
In his opening speech to the Assembly of Notables in 1787, Calonne affirmed the right of the state to collect taxes from all without exception, the infringement committed by the privileged in evading a legitimate constraint, and the injustice that was the consequence.

AI Comments

👍 This article provides an important and detailed analysis of the fiscal privileges of the Ancien Regime, and the implications of those privileges for social justice and equality.

👎 This article focuses too much on the privileges of the Ancien Regime, without giving enough attention to how those privileges affected the rest of society.

AI Discussion

Me: The article is about the taxation and privileges under the Ancien Régime in France and Italy. It talks about the constant doctrine of the monarchy in the 18th century to equate fiscal privileges with abuse. It also discusses the obligation of all to contribute to the charges of the state in proportion to their income, and how the monarchy was unable to make the privileges disappear.

Friend: That's really interesting. So, what are the implications of this article?

Me: Well, the article suggests that the monarchy was unable to successfully eliminate the privileges and exemptions to taxation, which could be seen as a sign of failure. It also implies that the beneficiaries of the exemptions were largely responsible for this failure, as they were able to find ways to avoid contributing to the state's charges. This ultimately resulted in an unequal and unjust system that disadvantaged the majority of people.

Action items

Research the history of taxation and privileges in France during the Ancien Regime.
Analyze the arguments used by the privileged classes to defend their exemption from taxation.
Compare the taxation policies of France during the Ancien Regime to those of other countries during the same period.

Technical terms

Fisc: A French term for the government's tax authority.
Ancien Regime: The political and social system of France before the French Revolution.
Colloque: A formal meeting or conference, usually for the purpose of discussing a particular topic.
XVIIe et XVIIIe siecles: The 17th and 18th centuries.
Assemblee des Notables: A special assembly of notables convened by the French monarchy in 1787 to discuss taxation and other matters.
Calonne: Charles Alexandre de Calonne, a French statesman and finance minister under Louis XVI.
Privileges pecuniaires: Financial privileges or exemptions from taxation.
Absolutisme: A form of government in which the ruler has absolute power.
Immunite: Immunity from taxation or other legal obligations.